By The Riverside
by Flaming Trails
Summary: In the Victorian countryside of Oxford, sometimes the strangest people can meet. Corpse Bride x American McGee's Alice kidfic.


By The Riverside

By Flaming Trails

A Corpse Bride/American McGee's Alice Story

Disclaimer: I don't own Corpse Bride or "American McGee's Alice." If I did, any potential love interests Alice might have in her upcoming sequel would be voiced by Johnny Depp.

_Notes: This is one of those random fics that pops up and asks to be written. I'd toyed with the idea of Victor and Alice meeting as kids before, but this is where it finally solidified. Edith and Mary were the first and middle names of the real Alice's younger sister – their last name, Gardner, comes from Martin Gardner, author of __The Annotated Alice__. Reginald comes from Reginald Hargreaves, the real Alice's eventual husband. I apologize in advance if Charles Dodgson's dialogue gets a little hard to read, but apparently he really _did_ have a bad stutter._

It was another lovely summer day in Oxford. The sun was shining brightly, the birds were singing, and it was just warm enough for everyone to enjoy. It was a perfect day for a boat ride.

"Oh, do be careful, Alice! You look like you're about to fall out!"

Alice Liddell looked up at the figure of Mary Gardner, her best friend Edith's older sister, looming over her with a frown. "I'm searching for fish," she explained, casting her gaze back at the water. "You think there would be some in a river this size."

"Perhaps they've gone for a holiday in London," Edith offered, glancing over her side of the boat.

"At any rate, we do not want you joining them – please sit back."

Alice reluctantly did so. "I knew what I was doing," she said, a bit sulkily. "I wasn't going to fall."

"You don't know that for sure," Mary said, straightening Alice's pinafore. "How horrible it would be for us, to have to go to your home and tell your dear mother you'd drowned in the Thames! It would quite ruin everything."

"In-indeed, Alice," their host, Charles Dodgson added. "D-d-drowning would ru-ruin all y-your fun."

"I suppose," Alice allowed. "It's just so quiet today. I should like to see something interesting."

"Well, there are plenty of dragonflies about," Edith said, waving a hand to shoo one from buzzing around her head. "You could watch them."

"Perhaps," Alice said vaguely. The dragonflies flitting about were interesting enough, she supposed, but they'd lost a bit of their charm after she'd seen their cousins, the snapdragonflies of Looking Glass Land. _If only this world's insects were as fantastic as the ones in Wonderland,_ she thought, absently tracking a dragonfly flying by the riverbank. _I should like to see rocking-horseflies and the rest more often. And those funny elephantine bees! If only one could catch them in a jar, like you do lightning bugs, and –_

"Oh, look! There's someone over there!"

Alice blinked, coming out of her thoughts. Edith was pointing to the left bank, looking quite intrigued. "It's a little boy! I don't remember seeing him about."

"Edith, it's very rude to point," Mary scolded, lowering her little sister's hand.

Alice peered curiously at the newcomer, heedless of Edith's impropriety. He was a young boy about her age, dressed in a rather baggy blue sailor suit. His hair was pitch black, and his skin was paper white. He was quite small, and apparently very skinny. "He looks rather ill," Alice remarked.

"Alice, what a thing to say," Mary said, before looking at the boy herself. She frowned. "Although he _is_ quite pale. Where are his parents?"

"I'm s-sure they're a-ar-around," Mr. Dodgson said, pausing in his rowing so everyone could get a better look.

"I think he's going after the dragonflies," Edith commented, tilting her head.

Indeed, the boy did appear to be hunting down the insects, chasing a couple down the embankment as they flew above him. Alice giggled – it was quite funny to see him running along, small, long-fingered hands reaching up to the sky as his shoes slid in the mud.

Finally, he managed to corner one on a rock. The boy stared at it a moment, as if to make sure it wouldn't fly away. Then he carefully reached for it.

Suddenly, the boy's foot slid on an especially slippery patch of mud, sending him tumbling down the bank and into the water. Edith and Mary both shrieked. "Oh no, that poor boy! Mr. Dodgson, see if you can get a bit closer, and perhaps we may – ALICE!"

Alice was already out of the boat, having dove out when the boy went under. Heedless of Mary and Mr. Dodgson's horrified cries, she paddled over to the spot where he'd fallen. She knew how thick the mud could get on the bottom of the river, and that there were very hard rocks down there. If the boy had struck his head or gotten stuck. . . .

She spotted his form flailing about just beneath the surface. She ducked down and grabbed his arm, hauling him up. He spluttered and gasped for air as they broke the surface. "Oh! Oh dear!"

"Come with me," Alice ordered, keeping a firm grip on his arm as she made for the shore. The boy managed to get his bearings, and together they paddled back to the riverbank. They pulled themselves out and up onto the grass, where they sat down and got their breath back. "Are you all right?" she asked after a moment, pushing her wet hair out of her eyes.

"Y-y-yes," the boy stammered, looking at his feet. "Are y-you?"

"Yes," Alice assured him. The boy kept looking at his feet. Something about him struck Alice as – cute. He wasn't like the other boys she knew, all loud and brassy. He seemed rather shy. It made her want to tease him. "I don't bite," she added, with a slight giggle.

The boy finally looked up at her. He had funny eyes, Alice noticed – a deep, deep brown that was almost black. He managed a small, trembling smile. "T-thank you for s-saving me," he said, a blush coming to his cheeks.

"I could hardly let you drown, could I?" Alice said with a nod. "I'm sorry you didn't get your dragonfly."

"It's okay," the boy sighed. "Maybe I can find another one."

"What were you going to do with it, anyway?" Alice asked curiously.

"J-just watch it, and m-maybe draw it," the boy replied, looking a bit bashful. "I l-like insects a lot." He blushed again, deeper. "E-especially b-butterflies."

Alice tilted her head, puzzled. He seemed almost embarrassed to admit he liked butterflies. She couldn't imagine why. Perhaps it was one of those things that boys weren't supposed to enjoy. Seemed rather silly to her. "Butterflies are lovely," she agreed with a smile. "In particular, bread-and-butterflies."

The boy blinked a few times. "Bread-and-butterflies? I've n-never heard of t-them."

"They live in Wonderland," Alice explained, happy to share. "Their wings are thin slices of bread and butter, their body is a crust, and their heads are lumps of sugar. And they feed upon weak tea with lots of sugar and cream." Her smile faded. "Except that the gnat told me they never find any, so they always die."

The boy, who had been listening with fascination, looked quite pained by this news. "That's horrible," he says. "Can't you feed them?"

"I wish I could. But Mother would scold me terribly if I tried sneaking a teapot full of tea out of the house," Alice said with a sigh. "Not to mention it might break on the journey to the garden where they live."

"Well. . .perhaps you could catch one, and keep it as a pet. And then at least one wouldn't die," the boy suggested.

Alice grinned again. "I was thinking something very similar to that just before we saw you. Looking Glass Land has so many fascinating insects, and--"

"Alice!"

Mr. Dodgson came rushing up, looking frantic. Mary and Edith were hot on his heels, Mary scowling fiercely while Edith looked more amused than anything. "A-Alice, what w-were you t-th-_thinking_ when you d-dove off the b-b-boat?" Mr. Dodgson demanded, eyes wide. "Y-your mother is g-going to k-k-_kill_ me!"

"That was _most_ unladylike behavior, Alice Pleasance Liddell!" Mary nodded, folding her arms. "You're going to get a right thrashing when you get home, you see if you don't!"

"You've ruined your pretty dress," Edith pointed out. "Your mummy is going to be very unhappy."

"It's only a dress," Alice said firmly, unwilling to back down. Oh, she hated the way Mary in particular fussed! Mr. Dodgson was easier to forgive, at least he told interesting stories. "And I could hardly leave this poor fellow in distress!"

The boy, for his part, was looking up at Mr. Dodgson wonderingly. "I-I didn't k-know grown-ups st-stuttered," he said, sounding amazed.

Mr. Dodgson blushed a little. "It's a b-bad habit of m-mine," he said. "I w-would hope y-you grow o-out of i-i-it."

"Mother h-hopes so t-too," the boy nodded, suddenly looking rather downtrodden. "She s-says it's s-shameful for m-me to stutter when I'm n-nervous. That people of o-our caliber s-shouldn't stutter."

Alice immediately felt bad for her new friend. His mother sounded horribly bossy. "I think you speak fine," she said, patting his shoulder.

The boy blushed again, and smiled shyly. "Thank you."

Edith giggled. "Have we forgotten Reginald then, Alice?" she teased. "Do you have a new gentleman friend?"

Alice made a face at Edith, then grinned at the boy. "Maybe," she said, leaning close to him. "Would you like to be my--" she searched for the lovely big word she'd learned recently "–paramour?"

The boy looked quite intimidated. Alice just thought that made him cuter. "W-what?"

"My paramour! Take me out for walks and bring me flowers – or I could bring you flowers. I don't mind a bit."

"But – but we're o-only visiting Oxford today and t-tomorrow. A-and we h-haven't been introduced!"

"Well, you know my name's Alice. What's yours?"

"Victor," the boy said after a moment's hesitation.

"Victor," Alice repeated cheerfully. "All right then. Now we can be paramours."

"But a-aren't we t-too young for that?"

"Pish-tosh," Alice said, waving dismissively. "You're sweet enough for me. We can go to Wonderland together and hunt bugs!"

That got his attention. "Really?"

"Victor! Where are you?"

Everyone looked up at the sudden new voice, coming from a few yards downstream. "That's m-my mother," Victor said, sighing. "I'd b-best go." He looked pathetically down at his sailor suit. "She's g-going to be so a-angry with me. . . ."

"She can't fault you for nearly drowning," Alice said, though privately she wasn't so sure. That voice sounded kind of mean.

Victor just shrugged. "It w-was nice to m-meet you, Alice."

"It was nice to meet you too, Victor." Impulsively, Alice leaned forward and kissed him right on the lips. Victor went "yuck!" and quickly wiped his mouth off, causing Edith to titter and Alice to roll her eyes. _Boys_. . . .

"Victor! Get over here!"

Victor sighed and got to his feet. "I'm coming, Mother!" he called, before turning to the others. "I'm sorry, I h-have to leave."

"Will I see you again?" Alice asked, feeling a sudden spike of worry. Even though she'd just met him, Alice realized she rather liked Victor. He seemed so sweet and gentle. And he'd seemed so interested in going to Wonderland with her to hunt the insects. . . .

"I don't know," Victor admitted softly. "We're going h-home tomorrow, and I d-don't know w-when we'll be back."

"VICTOR!"

Victor winced. "Yes, Mother!" He shook his head and waved. "Goodbye now."

"Goodbye," Alice said, a bit sadly. Then she gave him a mischievous grin. "But I'll find you again. And I'll kiss you again, you see if I don't."

Victor seemed torn between humor and horror at that. "You'll have to catch me first," he said, half-smiling. "Goodbye!" He waved to the others before darting down the riverside.

Mr. Dodgson offered Alice a hand up. "We'd b-best get you h-h-home, Alice," he said, frowning nervously. "Y-you need t-to change."

"Yes, all right," Alice said, accepting his hand and getting to her feet. She looked back at where Victor had been. "_Do_ you think we'll ever see him again?"

"He said he was going home tomorrow, wherever that is," Mary said. "So probably not. It's not worth worrying about."

"And I thought you were sweet on_ Reginald_," Edith sing-songed.

"Until he accepts my flowers, Reginald can jump down a well for all I care," Alice said, putting her nose in the air. She glanced back again. "I bet Victor would take flowers from me. He didn't object to the idea."

"You're silly, Alice. The boy is supposed to bring the flowers, remember?"

"I don't see why they have to! I can pick flowers just as well as them!"

"Enough of that," Mary said, scowling again. "Let's all go home and get cleaned up. It's almost time for tea anyway."

"And w-we must g-get you out of t-t-that wet d-dress," Mr. Dodgson nodded, leading Alice along. "I h-hope your m-mother doesn't g-get too a-angry. . . ."

Alice sighed and let herself be led, ignoring Mary's mutterings of how she wasn't be raised properly. Her mind was still stuck on Victor. _Oh, why does he have to be going home tomorrow? Why couldn't he stay another day? He seemed so nice. And I don't know where he lives, or even his surname!_ She shook her head. _That'll probably be the last I'll see of him ever. Such a shame. I would have liked hunting bugs with him._

The walk back to the house was a long one, and by the time they got there, Alice was rather chilly. She was quite glad to change out of her wet things, even though it meant a scolding from her mother and being confined to her room until supper. She took her tea at her little nursery table and played with a few of her toys, trying to keep her mind off her adventure at the river. _Oh, stop it,_ she told herself finally. _You shan't see him again, and that's that. You may as well put him out of your mind entirely._ Reluctantly, she consigned Victor and his dragonflies to the past.

But when she next visited Wonderland, she somehow wasn't surprised to find the King of Hearts with paper-white skin, thick black hair, and eyes that were so dark brown they were almost black.

The End


End file.
